Seventh out of 12

Jay Lake, Pidley, peg 34

Another difficult day for this Over 60s Open – almost freezing though I had the light, but cold, wind on my back. Unfortunately it was a West wind which meant I was facing East, which meant the sun was shining on me and not on the far bank shallows where most of the fish were caught. The top weights (indeed almost everyone who weighed in) had the sun on their far bank.

My swim - the sun never got on the far-bank shallows.

Two hours dobbing bread to the far bank (at 13 metres plus a half-butt) brought not a sign of a fish; then messing about in the side brought seven tiny perch on pinkie and a 4 lb carp foulhooked in the tail. Repeated looks over still brought nothing and the anglers either side didn’t get a carp either.

The result

I weighed 4 lb 7 oz, which managed to avoid being last...which has been a good result for me lately!! 

John Pratt made the very best of his peg 2 to win on dobbed pellet  – well done, John. My next match is the Decoy Winter League on Sunday – not sure which lakes are booked but it’s forecast to be cold, so it’s likely to be a struggle. I am trying to avoid a hat-trick of being last on my lake...